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Indonesian Earthquake; Senate Armed Services Committee Holds Hearing on Walter Reed; Cheney's Blood Clot

Aired March 06, 2007 - 09:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm T.J. Holmes, sitting in today for Tony Harris.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Heidi Collins.

For the next three hours, watch events come in to the NEWSROOM live on Tuesday, March 6th.

Here's what's on the rundown.

Chaos. Indonesia hit by a major earthquake. People run for their lives. Dozens lose their lives.

HOLMES: Also, 65 hours on a plane, the long haul flight. Was it a factor in Vice President Cheney's blood clot?

Dr. Sanjay Gupta is live in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: American troops on their streets in their homes. The war through an Iraqi's eyes live this hour in the NEWSROOM.

Our top story this morning, dozens of deaths, widespread damage being assessed this hour. Indonesia rocked by yet another natural disaster. That country now in shock after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the island of Sumatra. And then, an aftershock almost as strong.

The very latest now from CNN's Kathy Quiano in Jakarta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHY QUIANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): When the quake struck, everyone, the sick and the able, rushed out of this hospital in west Sumatra. Nurses pushed patients out on stretchers and wheelchairs to safer ground. Many remained outdoors for hours. Powerful aftershocks followed the 6.3-strong tremor.

Terrified residents tried to flee to higher ground, fearing a tsunami would follow. The city of Padang, on the southwest coast of Sumatra, is one of the few cities in Indonesia with a tsunami warning system. But this quake, centered a few miles inland, did not trigger a tsunami.

After the initial panic, the damage became apparent. Hundreds of houses and shops were flattened or badly damaged. The injured, many with broken bones, were brought to hospitals. More victims are expected to be found in the hardest-hit areas just outside the capital, Padang.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Kathy Quiano joining us now live by telephone from Indonesia.

And Kathy, can you tell us what the extent of the damage is now?

QUIANO: Well, Heidi, actually, right now, search and rescue officials are still trying to assess the damage in west Sumatra. The affected districts and towns are spread across a wide area, and some are very difficult to reach.

Some roads were blocked off by landslides quaffed by the earthquake. The Indonesian Red Cross has sent an assessment and emergency team to the town of Solok (ph), which is about 100 miles north of the capital, Padang. And officials say they will know more about the extent of damage once the teams report back -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Kathy, I'm not sure how many people you have been able to speak with in the area, but how do they feel about the warning that they may gotten here?

QUIANO: Well, this area, west Sumatra, has been identified by scientists here as an area that is prone to earthquakes such as this. It lies on a very -- on a fault line that many scientists predict will cause major earthquakes in the coming years. And certainly they were expecting something like this.

Rescue and search officials have also put emergency procedures in place. As I mentioned earlier, a tsunami warning system is also working in this area. However, because of the 2004 tsunami, you know, those memories are still fresh in the minds of people in Sumatra...

COLLINS: Sure.

QUIANO: ... and their initial instinct, of course, was to run and panic -- Heidi.

COLLINS: I can only imagine.

Kathy Quiano, thank you so much for the report coming to us live from Indonesia.

HOLMES: And our Chad Myers in the weather center now with a better look at this area where this happened here.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: Meanwhile, now, the war on terror, that is expected to be the president's focus next hour. He'll be speaking to the American Legion convention. Among other things, the president expected to point to early signs his troop buildup in Iraq may be working. The issue of veterans' healthcare may also come up, and has been a major focus after reports of shoddy conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

HOLMES: And this hour the Senate Armed Services Committee takes up the Walter Reed scandal. Expect more angry charges about the failure of the military's medical system.

CNN's Barbara Starr joins us now.

Barbara, are we going to I guess see kind of more of the same that we saw yesterday?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, T.J., a bit more of the same. You're going to see some of the same players. Some of the same Army brass will testify -- Major General George Weightman, the commander at Walter Reed who was just relieved of duty a few days ago because of the problems there, and Lieutenant General Kevin Kiley, the man who has not yet been relieved of duty. He was the commander back in 2004 when some of the problems emerged. He is currently the Army's top medical officer, the Army's surgeon general.

Both of them testified yesterday. General Kiley still on the hot seat with many members of Congress who want to know how all of this happened. This will be the Senate Armed Services Committee today, and there will be a political wrinkle of course to all of this.

Two members of the committee are already presidential contenders, Senator Clinton of New York, Senator McCain of Arizona. Expect them to engage in some very tough questioning of the Army brass -- T.J.

HOLMES: Yes, always got to sprinkle a little politics in there.

Well, from the hearings yesterday we heard a lot, some emotional testimony, some pretty heated exchanges. What stood out to you yesterday? What part should we be kind of focusing on from yesterday?

STARR: Well, I think what we saw yesterday truly was that emotional human face of the wounded troops. We saw two of the very badly injured soldiers testify about how tough it was for them at Walter Reed. One of them living in that notorious building 18, where there was mold on the walls, another soldier, a man who lost an eye in combat, testifying about the overwhelming bureaucracy at Walter Reed that he encountered trying to get the post-operative medical care that he needed.

This is the first time that many Americans are really seeing this side of the war, the wounded troops returning home, struggling to get the care that they need. And what is emerging, of course, is this is going to be a long-term situation.

Hundreds of very badly wounded troops now are going to need medical care for the rest of their lives, T.J. Another 50 or 60 years of needing healthcare, including healthcare from the V.A. It's going to be a very long-term situation.

HOLMES: Wow. All right. Our Barbara Starr watching this for us.

Barbara, thank you so much.

COLLINS: We actually have a little bit more news on this very same topic. We want to pull up our Ed Henry, who has some information about the commission that will be heading up an investigation into the conditions at Walter Reed medical facility.

Ed, can you hear me?

ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Good morning, Heidi.

CNN has just learned from a senior administration official that the president this morning, about an hour and a half, will announce that Bob Dole, the former Republican Senate leader, and Democrat Donna Shalala of the Clinton administration will co-chair this new commission that the president revealed on Saturday. He announced that it would be formed. They will be investigating the abuses at Walter Reed, other Army, as well as veterans hospitals all around the nation.

Significant, of course. Bob Dole, a wounded World War II veteran, someone with impeccable credentials on this subject. Also, Donna Shalala bringing in that bipartisan aspect, the former Health and Human Services secretary under Bill Clinton.

Obviously, the administration trying here to jump out and deal with this. The scandal has been unfolding over the last couple of weeks. The president himself has said very little about the subject, in fact, publicly. His radio address was the first time on Saturday that he really addressed it publicly himself. But obviously privately, the administration has been pushing hard to get the Pentagon on top of this, the defense secretary, Robert Gates, obviously some firing that he has issued in order to try to get some accountability here.

But this is a big, big political issue for the White House to deal with. I understand the president is going to make this announcement at 10:30 this morning at a speech before the American Legion.

Obviously, handpicking Bob Dole here, something that the White House feels will help inoculate themselves politically, at least, in the short term. But you can bet this is a raging firestorm on the Hill right now with all of these funding issues about the war. And so the White House is trying to deal with it -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes. And interesting, too, about what type of funding it will take to clear this situation up on top of the funding, of course, for the troops and the buildup there.

Ed Henry coming to us today live over the phone with this breaking news. We'll continue to follow that story in the face of the Senate Armed Services hearings a little bit later today on the Walter Reed situation.

HOLMES: Now a look at some of the casualty figures from the U.S.-led wars. The latest official tally from the Iraq Freedom campaign, just nearly 23,700 U.S. military personnel have been wounded in action. Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, more than 1,100 Americans have been wounded while fighting in Enduring Freedom. Both figures were updated last week.

COLLINS: Vice President Dick Cheney expected at work this morning despite a potentially life-threatening blood clot in his left leg. Doctors found it on Monday. Cheney will be on blood thinners for several months now.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta joining us with more on Cheney's condition known as Deep Vein Thrombosis, or DVT.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right.

COLLINS: Easy for me to say.

GUPTA: Right. Something you know a lot about as well.

COLLINS: Unfortunately.

GUPTA: Well, it's interesting. It is a fairly common condition. A lot of people don't realize this.

You hear about DVT quite a bit in the news when somebody has one. Vice President Gore, incidentally, had one as well when he was campaigning for president in 2000. In Cheney's case, he suffered from leg pain, it sounded like, some cramping in his leg. That's one of the hallmark symptoms of it.

You can also have some discoloration of your skin, redness of your skin as well. Oftentimes, that's all it is. You just get this spot in your leg that's sort of blocking the blood from traveling back from your leg to the rest of your body. And that can cause some problems.

But a lot of times it is can turn into something more serious, as you see here. You actually get the clot there, and it can actually break off. It actually dislodges, travels through the entire vascular system, as you can see there, and then finally gets up, lands in your heart. That's...

COLLINS: Pulmonary embolism.

GUPTA: That's a pulmonary embolism.

COLLINS: I had one of those too.

GUPTA: You had one of those, too.

COLLINS: Yippee.

GUPTA: You can talk about this as well as anybody, but a lot of people, you know, are curious about what the symptoms are. But those are some of the symptoms.

COLLINS: Well, and you mentioned -- you mentioned those and the possible spot, you know, on your leg. And warm to the touch.

What's scary about it is, is I had none of that. All I had was a little cramp and I thought maybe I pulled a muscle or something. And then it got so much more serious. I mean, when you talk about the pulmonary embolism, you're talking about if it goes to your brain, or your heart, or your lungs. I mean, you can die.

GUPTA: Yes, you can. And some people will have a little defect in their heart that will allow actually allow the clot to get into their heart and then, as you say, go to the brain, causing a stroke, potentially cause a heart attack as well. But any of those things.

A pulmonary embolism, it's amazing how many people don't realize how serious it can be. They say anywhere between 100,000 to 200,000 a year die from pulmonary embolism. Most of those related to the Deep Vein Thrombosis.

COLLINS: Yes. Unbelievable, too. I mean, we all remember David Bloom, the NBC reporter over in Iraq who died of a DVT. This month, in fact, is DVT Awareness Month. I mean, who knew?

GUPTA: Yes.

COLLINS: And with this happening with the vice president.

GUPTA: Yes, and in large part because of his wife, Melanie Bloom, who is the spokesperson for the National Coalition for DVT Prevention.

Yes, I was actually there in Iraq when, you know, David died. And I remember they said that he was dehydrated, he had been in a cramped tank for hours. But we also came to find out that in David's case in particular he had a coagulation disorder, something that actually made him more likely to clot.

And that is one of the risk factors, is this coagulation disorder. Again, as we talk about also, low blood flow due to surgery or an injury or just being immobilized. For instance, if you break a leg or something like that. Being older is a risk factor. And certainly being overweight as well.

COLLINS: Smoking, pregnancy, birth control also?

GUPTA: Also risk factors, absolutely. And women, specifically with the birth control and the smoking in combination, really need to be aware of that.

COLLINS: Or none of it and you can still get one, which is the really scary part.

GUPTA: You were healthy. You were fit. And you still developed one and it caused a pulmonary embolism. So I think -- you know, you and I have talked about this. And you're a good example of how it can really happen to anybody.

COLLINS: It can really be surprising. Quickly, though, how do you know when you have one? I mean, mine was found through an ultrasound. What if that guy hadn't done the ultrasound?

GUPTA: Yes, it's tough. I think that the biggest thing is that if you have some of the symptoms that we've been talking about, any pain that's unusual, discoloration of your skin, if you get a knot, the area might be warm to touch, you should probably get it checked out.

And it is an ultrasound. We're not talking about any needles here or any kind of invasive procedure. They literally take a little probe, run it over your leg, and they can find the clot if it's there. Give you blood thinners, as you had, right?

COLLINS: Yes. Many. Heparin and Coumadin.

But Heparin is the purer form which you do intravenously. And I had to be in the hospital for a week.

I'm amazed that he apparently went back to work so quickly.

GUPTA: Yes. It's a little confusing with him. I'm not sure if he was already on some blood thinners. He may have been because of his heart history. And maybe they gave more blood thinners.

It used to be that you gave the Heparin and then the Coumadin. Now you can give the Coumadin first. But yes, we saw the video of him, as you just saw him, walking out of the hospital. So they obviously didn't put him on bed rest or anything like that.

COLLINS: It just amazes me.

GUPTA: Yes.

COLLINS: It's such a precarious condition.

All right. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thank you.

GUPTA: I'm glad you're well, as well.

COLLINS: Me too.

GUPTA: Thanks, Heidi.

HOLMES: Well, far from home but still very concerned about his family and his country. The situation in Iraq through the eyes of an Iraqi doctor-turned-journalist. That's ahead in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: She felt a sense of relief at her husband's death and others had told her similar stories.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "I sat through my wife's funeral humming the tune 'Ding Dong the Witch is Dead.'" (END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Wow. Relief as part of the grieving process? We'll explain it coming up in the NEWSROOM.

HOLMES: And daydreaming about a life of luxury? You may have Mega-Millions fever. So just how big is tonight's jackpot? Let's put it this way: It's so big, if I win this will be my last CNN newscast.

That story is ahead in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Me too.

DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Dana Bash on Capitol Hill, where federal prosecutors fired by the Bush administration are preparing to testify. Justice officials say they were fired because of poor performance. Democrats call it raw politics.

More on that coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

HOLMES: Democrats suggest something's up here. The administration is firing several U.S. attorneys. Well, the allegation now is that they were fired because they were too soft on Democrats. An allegation that has been denied.

Now a long-time senator is under scrutiny. The story now from CNN Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash, part of the best political team on television.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. PETE DOMENICI (R), NEW MEXICO: And I have nothing further to say...

BASH (voice over): New Mexico GOP senator Pete Domenici acknowledges that one before November's election, he called his state's U.S. attorney to vent displeasure with a slow pace of a corruption investigation involving Democrats but says he did not cross the line.

"In retrospect, I regret making that call and I apologize," the senator said, but insisted, "I have never pressured him nor threatened him in any way."

Former U.S. attorney David Iglesias has said phone calls from Domenici and one other lawmaker did feel like political pressure and alleges the Bush administration fired him for not indicting state- level Democrats before last fall's congressional elections, where corruption played big.

DAVID IGLESIAS, FMR. U.S. ATTORNEY: Obviously, I tripped some wire that caused there to be pressure to ask me to step down.

BASH: The Justice Department insists Iglesias was fired because of performance, not politics. In fact, Justice officials say Senator Domenici called the attorney general four times to complain Iglesias wasn't up to the job.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right. And CNN Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash joins us.

And you left it in a perfect spot there, he hasn't identified that seconds lawmaker that called him. So please don't leave us hanging. Do we actually know who it is?

BASH: We do, T.J. It is Republican congresswoman Heather Wilson.

Later today, David Iglesias is going to be here on Capitol Hill. He and others are going to be testifying. And what we were told is that Iglesias had planned to point the finger at Congresswoman Heather Wilson as the other congresswoman who called him. And apparently knowing that, the congresswoman has put out her own statement making clear that she did call, she admitted that, but she said it's because a constituent was concerned that he wasn't moving fast enough in prosecuting Democrats.

I'll read you part of her statement.

It says, "My call was not about any particular case or person, nor was it motivated by politics or partisanship. I did not ask about the timing of any indictments and I did not tell Mr. Iglesias what course of action I thought he should take or pressure him in any way."

Now, we're going to be able to hear from Iglesias himself, his side of that call, in about an hour when he comes here before the Senate Judiciary Committee -- T.J.

HOLMES: All right. We'll see if he will finally name the person we already know who it is.

All right. Dana Bash, thank you so much.

BASH: Thank you.

COLLINS: An email from space shining new light on that supposed astronaut love triangle. Take a look at this now, released by the state attorney's office.

Colleen Shipman writes to shuttle pilot Bill Oefelein, "Will have to control myself when I see you. First urge will be to rip your clothes off and throw you on the ground."

That sent while Oefelein was...

HOLMES: Heidi... COLLINS: We cannot make this up -- in the middle of his last shuttle mission. That e-mail and many others part of court documents now released late last night. All of those e-mails captured by jilted astronaut Lisa Nowak. She apparently still had a key to Oefelein's apartment, and police say Nowak had a list of his computer passwords.

Oefelein told the court he was romantically involved with both women at the same time before finally breaking it off with Nowak. Nowak was charged with attempted kidnapping and burglary and an alleged assault on Shipman. She has pleaded not guilty.

HOLMES: All right. Space shuttle, exciting stuff, isn't it?

Well, meanwhile, we'll be talking about this lady here coming up. She was saved on a plane. A woman owes her live to quick action and a defibrillator.

That's coming up in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: And we're "Minding Your Business." Ali velshi here with a preview.

HOLMES: How you doing, Ali?

COLLINS: Hi, Ali.

ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to both of you.

You know, with the stock market and housing prices and all that going on, folks are wondering if there's a chance of a recession. Well, two gentlemen who should know about this have very different opinions. I'll tell you what they say when we come back as long as you stay watching the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Alan Greenspan is back in the news again. The form Fed chief says there's a one-third probability that a recession will hit the U.S. this year. Now, that is in direct contradiction to statements made last week by his successor and current Fed chief, Ben Bernanke.

Ali Velshi, the man knows he can't order coffee without the markets moving. Alan Greenspan, what's he trying to do us?

VELSHI: That's right. Well, this is right, and that's why he doesn't really throw these things around.

Now, with a few minutes to go before the markets open and the seesaw that they've been on, investors are starting to think about, you know, with rocky markets, with home prices slowing down, with all of the stuff that's going on in the world, are we -- are we looking at the possibility of a recession?

We have been in this sort of boom, this expansion that we've been in since 2001. For all of the stuff that's happened in the last few years, we have really been on an upward trend.

Now, Alan Greenspan is talking about the fact that as these economic cycles go, we might be looking for a recession. We're not looking -- he's not talking about very specific indications about a recession. In fact, in an interview with "Bloomberg," he said in reference to last week's stock market nonsense that was going on, he said, "I was surprised at that recent episode."

However, Alan Greenspan did speak last Monday prior to markets tumbling, and now he spoke more clearly on it. So this is a guy who, like you said, can't order coffee without getting people wondering. Now he is talking about a one-third probability of a recession before the end of this year -- T.J.

HOLMES: Now, this in contradiction to Bernanke. I mean, these two guys, I mean, they look at the same stuff.

VELSHI: Right.

HOLMES: This is the former and this is the current. Why shouldn't their thoughts and their ideas mesh?

VELSHI: Be very similar, right?

HOLMES: Yes.

VELSHI: They should look at these things similarly. In fact, Ben Bernanke was testifying before Congress last week after that whole -- all of the market gyrations had started. And he said to Congress the same thing that a lot of private sector economists are saying, we're not looking at a recession, the economy may even grow this year.

There's some thought that it won't grow at all, but these two gentlemen are at odds with each other. Now, they are both speaking academically at this point, particularly Alan Greenspan. He's not speaking with reference to a specific economic report or trend that says we're looking at a recession. He's saying the probability, given where we are in the economic cycle, and given that you believe that the economy and business works in cycles, where they go up and they go down, we could be ready for a recession. So, what do you do about this if you're watching right now? You do what you should have been doing all the time, you check your portfolios and you make sure they're balanced and suit your own risk tolerance.

You can't really buy and trade on speculation of a recession. But don't be surprised that sometimes markets go down and housing prices go down. What we're looking at now is the end of a very long run, both in housing, and the stock market. So for the average investor, the lesson from this is it isn't always just straight up. Whether it's now or later we tend to move this way in the economy.

HOLMES: Ali Velshi watching it for us, and these differing opinions of the financial titans. Who do you listen to? All right, we appreciate you, Ali. We'll be seeing you.

COLLINS: We want to take you to Capitol Hill right now as senators wade into the scandal at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. You see a live shot there.

At issue, charges of neglect and substandard living conditions; the victims, U.S. military personnel, wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. Outraged lawmakers are vowing to take action. We're going to monitor the proceedings and, of course, bring them to you live.

Also this morning, just moments ago in fact, CNN has learned that President Bush will appoint two Washington veterans to lead a probe of the military's medical system. You see their pictures, senior administration official says former Senator Bob Dole and former Clinton White House insider Donna Shalala will co-chair the president's commission, the bi-partisan panel will not only look at the Walter Reed facility but shortcomings that are being reported now elsewhere in the system.

The president will make the announcement next hour in a speech before a veterans group.

HOLMES: Specifically that veterans group the American Legion, that convention is happening and we'll have the president's speech at the top of the hour. You can count on us to bring those comments to you live.

COLLINS: Dozens of death, widespread property damage, Indonesia dealing with yet another natural disaster this hour. A powerful earthquake struck the island of Sumatra, flattening homes and businesses. The magnitude 6.3 quake was followed by a powerful aftershock. When the ground started shaking it sparked panic, sending terrified residents into the streets. Right now, the death toll at least 70 people. Authorities say they do expect that number to rise.

HOLMES: We get a better look at what, weather and a little more about this region in this area, Chad is explaining to us where this earthquake happened.

Hey, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, SEVERE WEATHER EXPERT: I said earlier, 90 percent of all earthquakes happen in this ring of fire area, so we want to give you an idea. It starts in Chile and up across central Mexico, up through North America, the western side there, down through Japan, and then into Indonesia and ending back down into New Zealand.

The 6.3 earthquake right here, now the Banda Ache earthquake that caused that tsunami well to the north. Still, the same plates are fighting here. One plate subducting under another. Here is Padang, the major city here with most of the damage, especially north of the city, up here. Because as you get closer to the epicenter of that 6.3, you get more shaking, but even Singapore picked up shaking from this earthquake, 6.3, then a 6.1 aftershock.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: Far from home, but still very concerned about his family and his country. The situation in Iraq through the eyes of an Iraqi doctor turned journalist. It's a very interesting story. We'll tell you about it, coming up in the NEWSROOM.

HOLMES: And distress call, the Coast Guard responds to boaters adrift for more than 24 hours. That's ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BELL CLANGING)

COLLINS: So Tuesday, it's a new day, right? The opening bell going off this morning, people watching it very, very closely, as you might imagine.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell yesterday 63 points or so, to rest at 12,050. Right now, we're at 12,143, up 93, 94, or so. We are going to continue to watch this story for you, and take a look at those Asian markets, as well because they have had such an impact. We'll have as soon as Susan Lisovicz on that in a little while.

HOLMES: New developments just in to us from Iraq. Police say two suicide bombers detonated themselves among a group of Shiite pilgrims today in central Hilla. We're told dozens were killed and wounded. Details still coming into us. We'll update you as soon as we get details.

Also, it's just one of a string of attacks on pilgrims who are on their way to the holy city of Karbala, for a weekend religious holiday. Also this, American troops targeted in deadly attacks, nine U.S. soldiers reported killed in two separate bombings north of Baghdad.

The military says six of those troops were killed in a blast in a combat operation in one of those. In another incident, in Diyala Province, three more soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb. Both incidents happened yesterday.

COLLINS: The situation in Iraq through the eyes of an Iraqi, the violence, a very real concern for one man who is very far from his homeland now. Ali Fadhil is a doctor turned journalist, studying at New York University. His father and brothers still face the daily hardships of life in Iraq. Ali Fadhil, with us now from New York.

Thanks for being with us, Ali. It's a pleasure to have you.

Let's talk first, if we could, about the last time you were in Iraq, which was January of 2006. As we have just said, your father and brothers are still there in Baghdad. You are in constant contact with them. What do they tell you about the current situation and life everyday there?

ALI FADHIL, IRAQI JOURNALIST: Thank you very much for having me.

Well, first let me tell you they are living in east Baghdad in a neighborhood called Ura (ph) neighborhood. It's very close to Sadr City. Recently, I have been talking with them -- actually, just this morning -- they were saying to me that things are improving a little bit. Specifically, after the new plan. It's being proving few militias, they think the militias, they are hiding, not in the street any more and things are improving from this prospect.

But they are still concerned about the car bombs, they still can't go in pursue their usual life. My brother is a doctor. I have two brothers who are doctors back in Iraq. It's very difficult for them to go to their jobs these days.

COLLINS: That brings up so many questions for me. You say close to Sadr City, obviously an area fiercely loyal to Muqtada Al Sadr. In that area particular area you are saying that they have noticed and have reported to you serious signs of improvement.

FADHIL: Yes. That is east Baghdad. You know, there are less militias right now, that's what they are saying since the plan came out, American Humvees and the Iraqi army, they are cruising the streets, and shouting for the militias to appear. And you know, simply the militias are hiding right now. That's why the situation is a little bit improved.

But if you go to west Baghdad, a friend of mine, also a doctor in western Baghdad, he is living actually in a neighborhood in west Baghdad, near Amaria (ph), It's a Sunni neighborhood. He is living in hell. He can't go out. He is just you know, staying inside his house, he's not leaving. His job, he left his job, actually. His family left to a safer neighborhood, but again, it's not a life for them.

COLLINS: Sometimes it's hard for us to keep straight all of these neighborhoods and their geographic locations, and which is Sunni and which is Shiite. Talk to us a little if you could about that divide between the Sunni and Shiite and how sometimes the neighborhoods are so close, you used to be able to go from one neighborhood to the other. And now have you noticed, or has your family reported to you, noticing that that really just can't happen anymore?

FADHIL: Surely it can't. It can't happen any more. They can't move from for example to Amaria (ph). They can't go visit a friend in Gazaria (ph) or even Masur. These areas west Baghdad is dominantly Sunni area right now. And east Baghdad the Shia side. I mean, that wasn't the case before 2005, but right now it is.

And the difficulty is that if you have -- if you want to meet someone from a Sunni area and the Shia wants to meet a Sunni from a Shia area, they have to decide to meet in a hospital, they have to decide to meet in a place in the middle. There is actually, there are no cafes in Baghdad. Baghdad is basically closed. There is no -- usual life.

COLLINS: I know that you were a doctor, as we have mentioned. Why have you decided to become a journalist? You are on a Fulbright scholarship; you're studying at NYU. Why the change of profession?

FADHIL: Well, Heidi, I was in exile during Saddam regime, and when the war happened I have the dream just like the other people. I was against the war, but the war happened. It's not in my hand. Then I have a dream that Baghdad will be the best place, Iraq will be the best country in the Middle East -- in the world. I went back to work as a doctor again immediately after the invasion.

And these dreams weren't true, everything gone in the wrong direction. Few weeks after my arrival I saw that there is no way that I can keep working as a doctor. And journalism came as a second job. Then shortly after I started I realized that this is the thing I can use to make a difference.

COLLINS: I want to quickly go ahead and show you something that really stuck in my mind. The day that Saddam Hussein was captured, I had the coverage. This in particular when Paul Bremer came out to announce it. Take a listen. I want to get your comments on the back side of this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL BREMER, COALITION ADMINISTRATOR: We got him.

(CHEERS, APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: You know, what you don't see there, Ali, is something that we were able to follow on that very day. Do you see the Iraqi journalists standing up and we were able to get the Arabic translation, what they were saying was, death to Saddam. All of those journalists seemed like they could hardly contain themselves. What do you think about when you see that video, now as a new journalist, studying journalism?

FADHIL: I don't need to see that video. I've just memorized it. It's in my mind. I was in Karbala at that time when Saddam was captured, with a "Financial Times" reporter.

The thing is, that was the moment everyone thought OK, there might be, this is the change in the history of Iraq. We are going to -- this is a good day, where we're going to -- Iraq will be safe, Iraq will be -- Iraq will be the best place now.

But you know, the way Saddam was trialed (sic), the way the trial went on, it was you know, we thought now it's the time to make the difference, now it's the time for the people to live together. But the way the trial went, and it was -- it was just a propaganda, basically. It gave the people the word that OK, the things -- things are going bad no matter what.

Iraqis felt that Saddam's capture, and his trial, and his death, you know, will also make a difference, but in fact it even made things worse, day after day.

COLLINS: Ali Fadhil, we appreciate your insights. Keep in touch with us if you would about everything happening over there as your father and brother continue to live in the area.

FADHIL: I will. Thank you very much.

COLLINS: Thanks very much. Good luck to you.

FADHIL: Thank you.

COLLINS: Meanwhile, the crackdown in Baghdad's volatile Sadr City, is it working or not? More on that coming up in the NEWSROOM.

HOLMES: And this woman felt a sense of relief at her spouse's death. And others have told similar stories.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got through my wife's funeral humming the tune "Ding Dong, The Witch Is Dead".

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: That's just cold. Relief, as part of the grieving process. You'll hear why coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Relief at a loved one's death? Perhaps not part of the traditional stages of grieving, but a strong feeling for some survivors. CNN's Ted Rowlands reports.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Jennifer Elison and her husband seemed like a picture perfect couple. He was a small town doctor, and she was a nurse.

JENNIFER ELISON, RELIEVED GRIEVER: Oh, my, we looked like the Camelot couple.

ROWLANDS: Then suddenly four years into the marriage Jennifer's husband was dead. The local paper carried the news that the doctor had been killed in an auto accident.

ELISON: The community mourned deeply when he died. There was just an outpouring of grief, and outpouring of kindness.

ROWLANDS: But Jennifer says she felt an overwhelming sense of relief.

ELISON: I had the sense of my spirit, I guess, coming back. I had been pretty oppressed. And I had this sensation of my spine straightening and thinking I'm not ever going to be in that kind of relationship again. And, whew, a weight off of my shoulders.

ROWLANDS: Jennifer says despite what people thought, her marriage had been miserable and before her husband died they had talked about divorce. So, she says, while she was shocked and sad after the accident, she was also relieved.

ELISON: I knew from the minute I heard that he had died, that I was not going to be able to publicly express that relief. ROWLANDS: But 20 years later, she did express it, co-authoring this book, and writing an article in "Newsweek" magazine. Jennifer, who is a college counselor in Helena, Montana, says her story has struck a chord with others who felt similar relief. But she's also struck a nerve with people who are offended by the idea that relief is a valid response to someone's death.

ELISON: You're cold. You're ruthless. You're not a nice person if you have this sort of response. Those are difficult things to hear.

ROWLANDS: But Jennifer says while researching her book she came across many others who felt relief after a death, sometimes after a long illness, but she also heard stories like this.

ELISON: I sat through my wife's funeral humming the tune "Ding Dong, The Witch Is Dead" And I have nightmares that she is still living, but no else knows this.

ROWLANDS: Jennifer remarried years ago. She says that despite the controversy she is happy she wrote about her experience.

ELISON: You know what, I think that if I were the one that had died in that car accident I would imagine my first husband would have felt a sense of relief.

ROWLANDS: She hopes her example will help people accept that sometimes relief can be part of the grieving process. Ted Rowlands, CNN, Helena, Montana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Desperate panic, South Asians trying to outrun an earthquake. Hospitals overwhelmed. We'll go live to Indonesia coming up next in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: The war on terror, that's expected to be the president's focus next hour. He will speak to the American Legion convention. Among things, though, the president is expected to point to early signs his troop build-up in Iraq may be working.

The issue of veterans' health care may also come up. It's been a major focus after reports of poor conditions at Walter Reed, the Army's premier medical facility.

A live shot there. You can watch. You can count on CNN to bring you this coverage when it happens.

HOLMES: Meanwhile, we'll talk about a guy who was married for half a century. There's a husband who now says that he and his wife have some bonus time. All because of quick work on a plane. Lisa Ramiliard (ph) of affiliate WTSF reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice over): Eighty-four-year-old Janet Fox is resting comfortably at St. Joseph's hospital tonight with her husband Stanley, where he has been for the last 51 years, right by her side. She says everything, including her heart beat is back to normal.

(On camera): How are you feeling now?

JANET FOX, SURVIVED CARDIAC ARREST: Pretty well. I'm a little tired.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's because just two days ago she and Stanley were on a Southwest plane, inbound to Tampa from their home in Ohio, when Janet quietly and without warning went into cardiac arrest. Stanley, who was sitting right next to her on the plane, alerted the flight attendant when he couldn't get a response from his wife.

STANLEY FOX, AIRLINE PASSENGER: Wasn't getting anything. I thought something's wrong pretty fast. I shook her a little bit. There is no -- absolutely zero. I was holding her. I thought her spirit has already left. I had a feeling that.

RAMILLIARD: The pilot immediately put out a call for anyone on board who could help. Within seconds Stanley said two nurses, an anesthesiologist and the flight were there and began CPR.

S. FOX: He said, her heart stopped. So the time, the time was of the essence.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As Janet flat-lined the makeshift medical team brought out the plane's onboard defibrillator, and miraculously jump started her heart.

S. FOX: It only took a short time for the defibrillator to correct the situation, she sat up and talked to me -- could talk and so forth.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: By then the plane was on the ground. Tampa emergency crews were waiting on the tarmac to take Janet to the hospital. As the couple left the plane, the passengers gave them a standing ovation.

S. FOX: All I could do when they applauded was turn around and wave thank you. And I don't know if they saw that or not. I hope they did.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Janet says she doesn't remember anything about what happened on Saturday morning, but knows now that it wasn't her time.

J. FOX: I just thank the Lord that I'm living, and that he still has a wife, and all our kids are glad, too.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And her husband says it was a miracle.

S. FOX: I probably will consider this as extra -- bonus time in our lives. A little extra gift, not that we deserved it. (END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Nice story.

Meanwhile, new details in a not so nice story, the case of the jilted astronaut. Email from space in the NEWSROOM

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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